CeO2-doped silicate glass: material characterization and protective properties for γ-ray shielding applications

The present work studies the effect of CeO2 additions on the structure, properties, and shielding ability against radiation of the 30CaO–20MgO–5P2O5–45SiO2 (mol%) glass system. Five glass samples, depending on the CeO2 doping of 0.5, 1.5, 3, and 5 g on a 100% glass batch, prepared through the conventional melting process. The glasses examined using XRD, DTA, and FTIR spectroscopies with measurements of density (ρ), molar volume (Vm), and crystalline volume (Vc). Different effective radiation shielding parameters also computed via Phy-X/PSD software. The amorphous character is dominant in all tested samples. As well, CeO2 additions increase the values of ρ, Vm, and Vc. The sample coded as GCe5 (doped with 5 g of CeO2) possessed the highest values of the mass-absorption coefficient (MAC) and the sample GCe0 (free with CeO2) possessed the lowest values. The linear-absorption coefficient (LAC) parameter has the same trend of MAC. Therefore, (MAC and LAC)GCe0 GCe0.5 GCe1.5 GCe3 GCe5. Half value layers (HVLs) for the investigated glasses have an opposite trend as CeO2 increasing in the glass networks. Thus, (HVL)GCe0 > (HVL)GCe0.5 > (HVL)GCe1.5 > (HVL)GCe3 > (HVL)GCe5. Both effective atomic number (Zeff) and effective conductivity (Ceff) parameters have the same trend of MAC and LAC. Results confirmed that the investigated glasses are superior as γ-ray shields compared to some commercial concrete. Therefore, CeO2 was found in the silicate glass network as a former oxide in tetrahedral units (CeO4) and increased the bridging bonds in place of NBO in the glass network, which led to a significant increase in the γ-ray shielding properties around silicate atoms. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.